Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-17
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
More and more people nowadays visit well-known places to take photographs of themselves, without looking at the place.
Why do you think this is happening?
Is it a positive or a negative trend?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 6.5)
In recent years, many people go to famous tourist places just to take pictures of themselves instead of enjoying the location itself. This habit is mostly caused by the popular use of social media, and I believe it is a negative development overall.
The main reason for this trend is the influence of social media networks such as Instagram and Facebook. People today want to show their online friends that they are living an exciting life. They feel happy when they receive likes and comments on their photos. Therefore, when they visit famous places like the Eiffel Tower, their main aim is to get a good photo for their profile. For example, many young travelers spend a lot of time taking selfies in different poses and then leave the spot immediately without learning about its history or culture.
In my opinion, this is a negative trend for two important reasons. Firstly, people miss the real meaning of travel. Traveling should be about relaxing, learning new things, and connecting with nature or local culture. If a person only focuses on taking photos, they cannot truly enjoy the experience. Secondly, it causes problems at popular places. Crowds of people standing everywhere to take photos often block the way for others and create noise, which makes the visit unpleasant for other tourists.
To conclude, people are focusing more on taking selfies at famous destinations because they want social media attention. This is a negative trend because it ruins the true experience of traveling and creates unnecessary crowds at tourist spots.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt, investigating both the reasons behind the trend and clearly stating a position on whether it is a positive or a negative development. The student presents relevant ideas, explaining that social media networks such as Instagram and Facebook drive this behavior due to the desire for online validation. The consequences are also well supported with clear examples, such as tourists spending time taking selfies at the Eiffel Tower without appreciating its history. The position is maintained clearly throughout the essay, and the ideas are appropriately extended and supported, fitting the requirements for a Band 7.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from the introduction to the causes, the personal opinion on why it is negative, and finally a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used appropriately, such as 'The main reason', 'Therefore', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'To conclude'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and effectively to group related ideas. Referencing is clear and unambiguous. Although cohesive mechanisms are straightforward rather than exceptionally flexible, the structural flow meets the criteria for Band 7.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow flexibility and precision in discussing the topic. Phrases like 'popular use of social media', 'online friends', 'connecting with nature', and 'tourist spots' demonstrate an adequate control of common and semi-formal items. There are also successful attempts at less common phrasing such as 'negative development overall' and 'unpleasant for other tourists'. Spelling and word choices are generally accurate, and any minor limitations do not impede communication. This performance aligns comfortably with the Band 6.5 or 7.0 band descriptors, showing solid competence.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
The writer displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms. Complex structures are utilized effectively, such as 'People today want to show their online friends that they are living an exciting life' and 'If a person only focuses on taking photos, they cannot truly enjoy the experience.' There is good control of grammar and punctuation, with frequent error-free sentences. Minor grammatical errors are absent or extremely scarce, and communication is never impeded. The command of sentence structures and punctuation reflects solid Band 7.0 capability.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.